Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-11-21
A Father Attempts to Kill
His Infant Son.
A PIECE OF SCANTLING
The Instrument Used-The Man
Taken to the County
Jail for Safety.


by beating out his brains with piece
of scantling. The facts of the case, 81
far as could he learned, are these:
Westfall, up to a short time since
was resident of Oregon City, Oregon
where he lived with his wife and two
children. His wife. aided by himself
carried on the laundry business ant
made fairly good living. TowarC
the latter part of August his wife wa'
confined, and after lingering unit
September 18th, died. He then gave
the three weeks old baby away, and
selling his household goods, came
to Los Angeles with his two
oldest children, little girl aged 7 ant
Willie, the victim of his cold-bloodeo
crime, aged 8. He stopped for a shor
time at the Missouri House, and later
obtained work at the same place fol
SIG per month, with board for himself
and two children. Yesterday after
noon he started out with Willie, and
was seen by man named Vantress
going in the direction OF the Buena
Vista street bridge. At this time he
was carrying the child in his arms
and shortly afterwards he disappeared
in one of the tunneled passages under
the bridge. Another man, named Joe
Caldwell, had also seen him enter, and
a few minutes later saw HIM emerge
without the child. Suspecting that
something was wrong, Caldwell told
Vantress, and both started for the
place, where they found the little
child lying on the ground,
BLOOD poZING
From its ear and a large swelling on
its left temple. They at first thought
that the unnatural father had taken
the child by the heels and dashed its
head against the walls, and they
rushed out to find the man, but he
had disappeared. They then took
the child to Mr.. Vantress'
house, and telephoned for a
physician, who came and pronounced
the child in very dangerous condi-
ton and unable tolive. Mr.. Vantre- &
started out to search for the father
and found him at the Missouri House,
on San Fernando street. Catching
hold of him he took him by force to
his home where Officer Leverich, who
had been telephoned for, was found.
He took Westfall in charge and both
he and the child were conveyed to the
City Prison, where the father was
placed in the iron tank and the child
laid on cpt in the hospit /. Drs.
Cohn, Hagan and Cole examined
the child and said that
there was but very little chance
for it's recovery. 1t had not recovered
consciousness and lay upon its side
scarcely Breathing, the blood still
slowly oozing from its eft ear. S
far as could be ascertained the skull
has been fractured behind the lett
ear, as if it had been struck a heavy
blow by a club. 1t was then sus-
pected that the unnatural father had
not, as first supposed, taken it by tie
heels and dashed it against the wall,
but had knocked it down with a
heavy club. When questioned by
the police he admitted that he had
used a stick, and search in the vi
cinity disclosed the weapon,
A PIECE OF sCANTLING
About two feet long and two inches
thick each way, with a rusty nail at
the end. This weapon was carefully
put away until daylight to-day, when
it will be carefully examined to ascer-
tain whether there are any marks
upon it which will prove conclusively
that it was the instrument used.
No charge was entered against the
father, since the police waited to
ascertain whether it would be "mur-
der"
A HERALD reporter obtained admit
tance to the cell of the unnat-
ural parent and fonnd him very
willing to talk. He was called
to the front of his cell and
under the gaslight it was observed
that he was about 55 years of age,
cadaverous in appearance and rather
under the medium height. In res
ponse to questions he said that his
wife had died on September 18th, at
Oregon City, through the malprac-
tices of a doctor named Carr. Along
about the last of August his wife was
taken sick, being about to be con-
fined, and, unable to obtain the SER
vices of his regular physician, he en-
gagged DR.. Carr, who vas young and
Incompetent. When DIR. Carr reached
the house he treated his wife in such
q manner that after three weeks OF
horrible sufferingsbe died, leaving him
with the baby and the boy and girl on
his hands. His regular physician
DR.. Norris, had been called in to at
tend his wife and after her death had
procured the arrest of DIR. Carr, who
was convicted and sentenced on a
charge of malpractice. During the
trial the Judge of the County Court
then told him that if he wanted to gC
East, as he said, he would make uT
whatever was lacking in the money
for passage. Under the belief that
the Judge would aid him, he sold al
his furniture and blankets for $35, ant
found that he could not rely on thu
Judges word, who was drunl
part of the time. A lady
wanted the three weeks ole
baby, SO he gave it to her and pur
chased tickets to San Francisco, wher'
he saw MIR. Perkins, who allowed hin
to come here on one of the steamer
with his children for four dollars.
=. wARN HE ARRIVED HERE
He went to the Missouri House ant
stayed for awhile. One day he saw
that they needed help in the kit..hen
and agreed to wash dishes there TO
SIC per month and board for himsel
and children. The woman who keep
the house objected to the muss whicl
the child made on the floors, and b
first thought he would take it t
the sisters, but he changed his mind
and thought the best thing he coul,
do was to get rid of it. So yesterda,
he took it out and walked along tn
railroad track. AS he neared tn
bridge he found stick about two fee
long and with this he hit the child Of